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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kid · bowl · tear · branch · content · rush · snap · safe

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. tear — to rip
  6. snap — to click
  7. rush — hurry
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. content — happy
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. tear — from crying
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. tear — from crying
  16. branch — a division
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. kid — child
  22. kid — to tease
  23. content — the amount
  24. bowl — a dish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com